By NEBRASKA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL and MEDICAL CENTER
OMAHA, Neb.-Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Nebraska Medicine, Truhlsen Eye Institute and the University of Nebraska Medical Center have teamed up to spread awareness about eye safety ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
“Every year we have many ocular injuries from fireworks, unfortunately, we also have a few who have complete vision loss. These injuries can easily be prevented,” says Rao Chundury, MD, assistant professor, UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute and oculofacial plastic and reconstruction surgeon with Nebraska Medicine.
According to the 2020 Fireworks Annual Report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were involved in an estimated 15,600 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. An estimated 15% of those injuries involved eyes.
“Fireworks and even sparklers are incendiary and explosive devices that can burn at temperatures up to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit! Even brief contact with the delicate tissues of the eye can cause devastating burns,” says Paul Rychwalski, MD, the Dr. John and Irene Graether Endowed Chair in Pediatric Ophthalmology, Truhlsen Eye Institute, and chief of ophthalmology, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. “Also, high velocity projectiles like bottle rockets can cause massive injuries to the cornea, lens and retina and even cause the eye to rupture.”
The eye physicians recommend wearing eyewear to protect the eyes when using fireworks.